Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport believes its ongoing multi-million-euro expansion will provide new opportunities for the development of its long-haul network and further support Air Serbia, which has said the second decade of its operations will be marked by expansion on far away markets. “Air Serbia’s hub strategy is aligned with Belgrade Airport’s efforts to support long-haul traffic. Of course, we are in constant talks with all the companies that could potentially serve the existing demand for intercontinental flights. Major infrastructure works at the airport are aimed at supporting traffic growth. Finding new markets and improving existing ones is of utmost importance”, Belgrade Airport said recently.
Last week, Belgrade Airport introduced a revised incentive policy that incorporates discounts for the commencement of new long-haul flights. This entails discounts for the passenger service charge for departing passengers over a three-year span, as well as reductions in the passenger service charge for transfer passengers over the same period. Furthermore, for each new long-haul route, there will be a 100% discount on landing fees during the initial year, followed by 70% in the second year and 50% in the third year of operations. In an effort to encourage the arrival of new long-haul carriers, the airport is providing an additional one euro per departing passenger for each new long-haul operator, along with an extra two euros if the route is maintained throughout the winter season as well.
Belgrade currently boasts four year-round long-haul routes (New York, Chicago, Beijing, and Tianjin), maintained by Air Serbia and Hainan Airlines. The Serbian national carrier will launch services to Shanghai and Guangzhou this year, both of which are among Belgrade Airport’s busiest unserved long-haul destinations. With its new Guangzhou service, the airline is expected to serve a significant portion of the demand that currently exists for nearby Hong Kong. Air Serbia has said it will further develop its North America network in 2025 and beyond that is looking at points in Far East Asia and India. On the other hand, Hainan Airlines plans to increase frequencies on its Belgrade service from two to three weekly but has told EX-YU Aviation News it is seeking an agreement with Air Serbia beforehand, without elaborating further.
Busiest unserved long-haul routes from Belgrade
Good luck BEG. Good to see at least two new long haul routes secured for this year.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt seems as if they are mostly relying on Air Serbia to develop the long haul network.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense, it's their home carrier and they have the fleet for it. It's always easier to cooperate with someone you have an existing relationship rather than to chase new business partnerships.
DeleteI hope they try to attract others as well. There is only so much JU can do.
DeleteIs there? I disagree. With a growing hub in BEG, JU's opportunities are becoming bigger and bigger. That said I think it's realistic to expect another Chinese carrier as well as someone like Transat.
DeleteAn Indian Airline there will surely be growing cargo and more people from that region now living and working here. Also could work well if Air Serbia did a code share/partnership to offer transit onwards to NYC and Chicago.
DeleteAn interesting sidenote. Just before Serbia was pressured to reintroduce visas for Indians Indigo cofounder came to Belgrade. Brought his whole family with him and had meetings with officials. Unfortunately when visas were reduced any plans of launching flights fell through.
DeleteAn African one as well, Kenyan or Ethiopian Airlines.
DeleteWell interesting about Ethiopian I found here
Delete"Ethiopian Airlines eyes Balkan region for future expansion"
“Ethiopian Airlines is quite known that they utilise some European cities as a stopover for fifth freedom rights towards the US because of the distance. So, if they would consider Belgrade, we would be very open for cooperation”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said.
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/02/ethiopian-airlines-eyes-balkan-region.html
If an African airlines launches BEG then I would like it to be MS. They have the plane for the route and they do have a respectable network out of CAI. They could cover all of Africa as well as the Middle East and the rest of Asia.
DeleteAgree on MS and their airplane size being practical for this region, but their network in Africa is way smaller than Ethiopian: ET flies to literally every village on the continent + they also have B737 and use them to ATH and IST, so they could use them for BEG as well.
DeleteAgree with Ethiopian. Thus, Singapore can easily work with Scoot in my opinion since they allow connections even for a low-cost airline and existing demand! Three weekly B787-9 flights could be great
DeleteMy logic is that CAI is not as to the south as ADD is so MS can actually offer a wider choice of destinations. I doubt anyone would fly BEG-ADD-DXB/JED/DXB... while they might via CAI.
DeleteAgreed. And besides it's a lot more realistic to see MS in BEG compared to ET.
DeleteScoot could work, since Australian market to BEG opens huge potential. Only problem with Scoot not so great yields in Y class since MEA 3 with TK are making money of business class. On the other hand, seasonal Air Transat a330-200 could work. That would probably have impact on ZAG Air Transat flights. Maybe a321xlr could be an answer.
DeleteI wonder if there will be Buenos Aires and Rio in the foreseeable future... At least for business and layover, Latinos don't care for Balkans much nor do we travel there for pleasure. Though we might in that case, with the prices more affordable.
DeleteBuenos Aires for sure can work. With JUs feeder network 3 PW would do wonders.
DeleteBasically, with current JUs feeder network, ANY long haul could work
Flyscoot with their 787 would be a good addition - ex Australia it would be great, but also opens LCC opportunities from Balkans through to Singapore, Bali, and a few other locations. They already have multiple flights to Athens and Berlin, but no expansion for a while. This could possibly be a catalyst for them to consider.
DeleteWhy not Toronto JU?
ReplyDeleteBecause it's highly seasonal and expensive to fly there.
DeleteVery often overlooked in the comments here is cargo on the China flights. It many cases, strong cargo demand can make a route profitable even if the passenger demand is softer.
DeleteThey should consider Hamilton, with many Serbs living there. It could cater for Toronto demand the way Tianjin is serving Beijing area.
Deleteokay so Toronto is seasonal. then JU should launch it seasonally. They have many seasonal routes. Toronto could be their first long haul seasonal route. they wet lease the vamos a330 when they need it. they can wet lease it for the 3 months they need it for the summer. improve their connectivity and the position of BEG as a hub.
DeleteTransat does it seasonally too...
DeleteGuys, you should really understand that new routes (especially LH ones) are nowdays rarely launched exclusively to places with lots of diaspora.
DeleteThat being said, China routes with all cargo demand beat most of NA routes any time.
It could be interesting if freight forwarders could use Belgrade as a base for Europe delivery. With more weakly rotations it should become realistic solution.
DeleteHopefully someone likes Air Transat takes the deal and launches YYZ-BEG. I think they are the best carrier to operate these seasonal flights.
ReplyDeleteIf Chinese arrivals keep on growing at this rate then I wouldn't be surprised if we see another Chinese airline launch flights. I wouldn't be surprised if Air China does it.
I really hope TS does not take that route. Flew ones on their 330 and it is not comfortable and service is very poor. Canada is going down the hill very fast and their main market now is India and Pakistan.i have a feeling it is not the right time for JU to lunch YYZ this year.
DeleteI agree but the bilateral limits them to 2 flights per week. Air Canada already said that for them it's not enough though I think they would rather funnel everything via LH Group hubs, it's easier like that.
DeleteSince Air Canada won't launch it, JU isn't interested in Canada then that leaves us just with them.
But why not negotiate a new bilateral in place? Surely both countries can see the benefit from it
DeleteI don't think Canada is too interested in re-negotiating it. Mind you this is the new version of the bilateral that was finalized just a few years ago. Canada tends to be very protecting of its market and Air Canada.
DeleteDo you think that Canada insisted it to be 2 weekly only?
Deleteseasonal air serbia flights with a wet lease to YYZ for the summer?
DeleteMy guess is that Canada insisted on two weekly flights. Serbia usually tries to secure an Open Skies Agreement.
DeleteCanadian government works very close with AC. Since AC wasn't interested they probably said to keep it as 2 weekly so that JU can't endanger their competitiveness via LH Group hubs.
You are 100% right Nemjee, one of the most controlled market by the gouvermant. Canada has the worse passenger protection rights as well the most expensive landing fees. Also their airports are in a really bad shape, terminal 3 is just the most dirty and technology outdated terminal I have ever experienced. In the international arrivals you have one bathroom with 2 urinals and a single toilet, yet CEO of the airport got a bonus of 6 million dollars. Super corrupt system and JU should avoid it for now until something changes to better in that country. JU should do MIA instead as well increase ORD to 5X a week.
DeleteIndeed and from what I heard Air Canada's product isn't the best. Even once they got cozy with EK they still didn't allow them great access to Canada. Basically they forced EK to rely on AC.
DeleteI am not very picky when it comes to food, everywhere, planes included. I eat pretty much everything. Flew AC YYZ-MUC few years ago. The meal looked like served in public kitchen in Romania during Causescu, or in some prison in Vietnam. I tasted eat, and left it untouched. Disaster.
DeleteDayum
DeleteIt will be interesting to see what happens with the Uganda flights that were mentioned.
ReplyDeleteWould be best for Air Uganda to fly this political route.
DeleteAin't gonna happen
DeleteCould Hainan be after a codeshare before they increase frequnecies?
ReplyDeleteI don't see why JU would have anything against it. JU did announce plans for a Hainan codeshare some time ago. Could be taking time on the Chinese regulatory side maybe?
DeleteHainan requested to operate a third weekly frequency from 19.12 but didn't do it in the end. It's the second time they are doing this. I guess they are still struggling with workforce and fleet after covid and all that.
DeleteNice pic!
ReplyDeleteThat's in BEG right?
DeleteYes
DeleteCathay Pacific or even Scoot could actually tap in to 6 out of the top 10 unserved longhaul markets, plus provide additional capacities on served routes...
ReplyDeleteI think Cathay or Chinese Southern.
DeleteIf and when BEG become a little bit remarkable tourist destination then we might expect some US or canadian airline to be interested . Until then we can only rely on Air Serbia.
ReplyDeleteI do not see that Zagreb has much more tourist potential than Belgrade but still they have Air Transat during the summer.
DeleteAir Transat sells tour packages to the Croatian coast using the Zagreb flight.
DeleteActually, Belgrade is doing it right in my opinion. They are not focused so much on tourists as they are on business traffic and congress tourism. We all know a businessmen won't mind paying a €400 ticket from FRA to BEG if they have to go to work or to attend an event. Airlines prefer those passengers over the price sensitive weekend party groups.
DeleteOkay then NEMJEE we will wait for the businessmen ! By the way ATH gets a fifth airline ( NORSE ATLANTIC AIRWAYS ) for the ATH-NYC-ATH route ! And I don't think it si because of business !
DeleteATH can't be compared to BEG. Athens is a mega city + lots of year round tourists visiting Athens plus the islands. Also ATH reached almost 30 million passengers this year so of course there will be a fifth airline for ATH-NYC.
DeleteAs long as Aegean doesn't fly long haul, ATH will have a lot of airlines flying to destinations BEG won't get. ADD,KWI,PVG,PEK, US destinations, Canada and I read somewhere they're getting India flights soon..
DeleteLoL @14:29, Athens is top 10 city in the world, you can compare it with Belgrade.
Delete@anon 15:19 , as long as there is so much competition in ATH-NYC-ATH route , Aegean will never step in and this is the right think to do for me. They are private owned and can not afford loosing money since they do not have the back up from their government as Air Serbia have .
DeletePlus Greece has only two real airports in continental Greece. Not much competition
DeleteAnon 14.29
DeleteYou are right, it's not because of business. It's because of a healthy mix of American tourists heading to Greece and then due to a massive Greek community in the US. There is a reason why ATH has so many flights to the US in summer and then almost nothing in winter. BEG has completely different market dynamics and those two markets should not be compared.
Also, this spring BUD will be purchased by the Hungarian government (read re-nationalized) so it remains to be seen what becomes of BUD and its business strategy.
NEMJEE almost nothing in winter ??? Please don't make fool of yourself , you surely know the daily Emirates to New York for many years .
DeleteDaily Emirates B777 + 5 weekly Delta A333 until January and then restarting in March with a pause in February also United seems that they'll upgrade ATH too.
DeleteThey should try and bring Air Astana which flies seasonally to Montenegro. Air Serbia could even codeshare with them and offer connections elsewhere. Kazakhstanis don't need a visa to enter Serbia.
ReplyDeleteThere were talks with the Azerbaijanians too, with no result so far. BEG should go for a carrier with well established central asian network.
DeleteWe might see JU launch GYD.
DeleteBEG-GYD као Скадар на Бојани.
DeleteHahaha yes
DeleteBEG has good predispositions for more long hauls with a lot of regional links.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of potential for growth.
DeleteThe market is there for more upward demand.
DeletePositive projections are quite evident.
DeleteThis incentives for long haul is great news and it will definitely help Belgrade grow even more. I'm glad they are oriented towards this kind of growth.
ReplyDelete*these
DeleteWhen all works at the airport are planned to be finished?
ReplyDeleteBy the start of the summer season.
DeleteLet's hope so
DeleteThe sad thing is that for the time being no foreign airline is interested to start long-haul routes to Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised about Hong Kong being on the list.
ReplyDeleteHong Kong is huge transfer point especially for China - Shenzhen, Guangzhou region. Actually seeing both Guangzhou and Hong Kong on the list makes me realize why Air Serbia plans to fly to Guangzhou.
DeleteInteresting. Thanks for the explanation.
DeleteWhen you consider that Hongkong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou are in the same catchment area (Pearl River Delta) then flights to there should do well.
Delete@Branko a330 can easily reach LA. More specifically it flew BEG - LAX during covid as a repatriation flight.
Delete^ yes with 80 passengers and no cargo.
DeleteInteresting to see LA the next city with the most demand in US and then Miami. But my guess is there is more demand in general from Miami when nearby airports in Florida are included, plus transfer potential to the rest of the States and Central/South America.
ReplyDeleteBoston is a bit odd
DeleteThey don't have a plane for LA (Marek's words), that's why they don't consider it.
DeleteWell, if idiots from government did not STOP almost finalized contract for two A350s we would have planes that can reach LAX. But their cojones shrinked when they heard what JU did and stopped it
DeleteWhat did JU do?
DeleteWhen can we expect flights for Air Serbia's new Chinese routes to go on sale and launch?
ReplyDeleteHoping to see Tokyo in the next few years
ReplyDeleteJU mentioned it as a destination in the future after North America expansion in 2025.
DeleteJU needs to work more on its long haul product to be competitive. Flew Hainan recently on their A330-300 Belgrade-Beijing-Belgrade. Can't be compared.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteDidn't Marek say he sees Air Serbia having up to 10 long haul aircraft in the future? So I expect a lot of development in the long haul sector from BEG in the future.
ReplyDeleteHe said 5, not 10.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/09/air-serbia-eyes-five-member-wide-body.html
God forbid they have anywhere near 10 widebody aircraft before 2030. BEG would literally fall apart. Mark my words, next summer will be hell. BEG is already struggling to maintain normal operations as they lack enough staff. The last few days there were a lot of delays. Vinci is trash when it comes to the operational aspect of running a business.
DeleteIt seems they learnt absolutely nothing from the last summer.
Delete@Anonymous09:57
DeleteI don't remember correctly, but he had a statement later saying something like he wouldn't be surprised if they end up with as much as 8(?) wide bodies. Situation changes,there is no reason to limit themselves if there are opportunities on the market
Yes, you are right Branko, he did say they may have as much as 8
DeleteBEG max capacity is 15M. They should start thinking about building new airport ASAP!
DeleteNot new airport, just need terminal.
DeleteFirst they can "mirror" all new C gates to parking side of the terminal. So, to double the capacity, just add bridges on the side there is now parking space. Starting from C7 instead of having imaginary open air museum they will add gates
DeleteOk, I can see now why JU went for the two Chinese routes next. Shanghai number 1, and Hong Kong + Guangzhou are a joint package. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteSo now all are focused for haul long. This year anything to open new routes in Europe. Dublín or Manchester must be waiting for next Year 2025.
ReplyDeleteFocusing on one thing does not mean you exclude the other.
DeleteAdmin, do you have information about LJU unserved long haul destionation.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
What is the definition of long haul? In hours or kilometres? Are Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi long haul considering the distance?
ReplyDeleteIn Zagreb and Sarajevo airport's incentive programes, anything over 7 hours is considered long haul.
DeleteOne analitičar from Croatia said long haul is above 5000km, so that's why ZAG - Dubai by Emirates is long haul... But the same route by Flydubai is not as they fly narrow body planes. Hahaha
DeletePuni previse idiotizma.
DeleteWith 50 or so million profit JU should look into buying a few A330 NEOs, I think Airbus would be happy to sell them, especially the -800 version
ReplyDeleteI am a native German speaker and to be fair, I have seen a lot of content around Condor. But they really seemed to turn around their entire hard product thanks to the new A330neo. The interior is truly fantastic! Condor are currently receiving one aircraft per month. JU will take some more time, in order to “level up”, unless the state helps.
DeleteI think JU is still to small, with not enough revenue to purchase their own aircraft.
DeleteCondor is bigger airline, in much more wealthy market.
There could be chance that the -800 variant could get a discount because of it's poor selling record, if nothing or barely anything changes that is.
DeleteWhat do you think of seasonal combination Toronto (in summer) Miami (in winter)? Having in mind Toronto is highly seasonal... MIA would work better in winter than summer.
ReplyDeleteAirSerbia routes ofcourse
DeleteThat should work.
Delete3 pw
DeleteSvi ce dobiti popust i benefite osim rajan era
ReplyDeleteA zasto FR ne bi? Ili mozda trazi popuste kao u Zagrebu? Dakle prvo brojke pa onda popust.
DeleteVeoma dinamicna kretanja na Aerodromu Beograd. Pogotovo trend u nastojanju imlementacije i interkontinentalnog saobracaja Nacionalne avio kompanije Er Srbije. Glavnog korisnika Nikole Tesle. Ako Er Srbija nastavi razvoj do proslave Prve stogodisnjice koja dolazi u 2027 godini, prerasce regionalne kompanije. Gde se trenutno nalazi. Veoma dobar potez bi bio da za otvaranje novog Western Sydney Airport napravi jedan carter let. Izmedju Beograda i Sidneja. Verujem da bi to bio dobar potez.
ReplyDeletePrvi let posle cetvrt veka prekida veze izmedju Srbije i Australije. U cast otvaranja novog Sidnejskog aerodroma.
I povodom svoje proslave prve stogodisnjice od osnivanja avio kompanije u Srbiji.
Jos kada bi na trupu tog Erbasa A330 mogao biti lik Novaka Djokovica! Bio bi to pravi potez i radovanje. Za narod u Srbiji. I mnoge u Australiji. Uz veru da je to moguce, sacekao bi Er Srbiju na Western Sydney Airport - "Nancy Bird Walton".
Rekoh i Dusu spasoh. Ostalo kako ljudi odluce i Bozja volja.
Srecna vam Nova Godina. 😀🇷🇸✈🇦🇺♥️✈🌐🛬
Rodney. Kraljevo & Sydney